Sonia Madan, Senior General Manager at Engineers India Limited.

With 32 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry, what motivated you to specialise in instrumentation engineering and take on leadership roles in complex projects?

With a degree in Instrumentation & Control from Thapar University, Patiala, the core engineering subjects of Instrumentation always held my interest. Right after college, I was placed in the Project Engineering Division of EIL in the Instrumentation Engineering Department which undertakes design of Automation and Control of the Refinery and Petrochemical Projects which are awarded to EIL. Since then, the job profile in EIL has given me a vast experience in the specialised field of Instrumentation.

The roles assigned to me in the department contributed to continuous development of my leadership skills. Aligning engineering goals with business objectives of the organisation and contributing to the overall success of the organisation have been the motivating factors to take up these leadership roles.

As the Senior General Manager at Engineers India Limited, what leadership principles guide your work in managing diverse teams and overseeing critical engineering projects?

Leadership principles like working in a team cohesively, inspiring and mentoring team members, keeping communication open, encouraging team towards strategic thinking, empowering team members to reach their full potential, making each member feel included and invest in the direction of company’s goal and vision are the major pointers in how I manage diverse teams for critical engineering projects.

You’ve provided consultancy for major clients like IOCL, HPCL, and BPCL across diverse projects. Could you share an example of a particularly challenging project and how you successfully manage it?

Vizag Refinery Modernisation Project of HPCL has been overall a challenging project. With few revamp units and many new units, out of which Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) has been the first one of its types being installed in India in terms of capacity, complicated process and interlock system. The main challenge has been that the Control system was ordered even before the Process licensor selection was done. However, with assumptions with past projects, the control system details were provided common with other process units and the Control system successfully executed. Also, implementation of cutback sequence logic in DCS/PLC, design and selection of heavy nuclear sources for level and density measurements, design of high-pressure instrumentation hook-up with special Graylock fittings are other major challenges in RUF.

Your expertise spans engineering, procurement, construction supervision, and project management. How do you ensure quality and efficiency across these phases?

All documents and drawings for a project are prepared, reviewed and checked as per Quality plan to align with the Corporate Quality plan. Quality guidelines and procedures are followed during all phases of the project be it engineering or construction. Technical audits and Repeat engineering are other methodologies for ensuring quality and efficiency for a project.

As a member of the ISA Core Committee and Chairperson of the Internal Complaints Committee, how have these roles shaped your contribution to workplace inclusivity and professional standards?

As Chairperson of the Internal Complaints Committee of EIL, it has been my constant endeavour to sensitise employees, irrespective of gender, of the organisation’s zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment at the workplace. This creates a safe working environment so that female employees can perform to the best of their potential and be included in all roles in the company.

ISA membership has contributed to my understanding of the vendor/client/consultant relationship and maintaining professional standards, sharing of technical knowledge and being transparent about the policies and latest trends in the industry.

You’ve updated and formulated key engineering standards and guidelines. How do youstay ahead of evolving industry requirements and

technologies?

As a prerequisite to formulating engineering standards and guidelines for the department, I have been involved in professional networking bodies, technical conferences and webinars, technical communities and forums and kept abreast of technical advancements as a continuous process.

Having been involved in training, recruitment, and competency mapping at EIL, what advice would you give to young professionals entering the Oil & Gas sector?

Since the future of Oil & Gas will be integral to the global economy, it is necessary for young professionals to understand that domain knowledge of renewable and clean energy shall pave the way to the future. Understanding market expectations, learning new technologies, investing in financial knowledge, reskill and upskill continuously, and adapting to regulatory changes in the oil and gas sector – these are crucial for young professionals to stay relevant and competitive.

With extensive experience in leading revamp and troubleshooting projects, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?

Revamp projects which I have handled have been unique in the way of strategising the methodology and scope of mantling/dismantling of instruments and control systems, carrying out adequacy checks, OEM discussions and micro-scheduling of DCS/PLC execution. Overcoming these challenges by way of conceptualising, executing and successful commissioning with seamless interfacing has been a rewarding closure to these projects.

Troubleshooting projects were successfully carried out by undertaking site visits, interacting with site teams of vendor and client and providing resolutions. It has been rewarding to see a number of projects undertaken being successfully commissioned and provides a great sense of achievement.

What is your opinion on the role of Industrial Automation magazine in showcasing

industry trends and empowering women in technology and automation?

The vast information on latest technological trends showcased in Industrial Automation magazine is very helpful in keeping up with industry innovations and events. Coverage of different types of industry, special editions of Women’s Day are some of the USPs of the magazine. Publishing articles written by trailblazer women in the Technology and Automation industry provides encouragement for other women in the industry and provides them a platform to involve themselves in this field and to be achievers.

What are the three words that best describe how it feels to be a finalist in the Women in

Tech 2025 competition

Recognised. Honoured. Grateful.

An Instrumentation professional in the Oil & Gas Industry, Sonia Madan joined Engineers India Limited(EIL) in 1990 as a Management Trainee and is now designated as a Senior General Manager in EIL. 

Sonia has over 33 years of experience such as design, detailed engineering, EPCM (Engineering, procurement, construction supervision and project management), EPC/LSTK (Lump sum turnkey), FEED preparation and Project Management (PMC) phases of projects offering Consultancy in various Oil & Gas Projects for Instrumentation Engineering for clients like IPCL, IOCL, HPCL, GAIL, CPCL, KNPC,BRPL,MRPL, BPCL. She also holds the post of Chairperson, Women Forum and Chairperson, ICC (POSH) of her organisation.